Protest against deportation of aspie

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Osime Brown, 21, is facing deportation to Jamaica, a country he left when he was just four year’s old.

Brown, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, is currently serving a five-year sentence in Stocken prison in the East Midlands. He was convicted under the controversial joint enterprise law over the theft of a mobile phone after a group of teenagers he was with carried out the robbery. It is reported that Brown asked the other teenagers to stop committing the crime.

Yesterday in the House of Commons, Labour MP Nadia Whittome asked the justice secretary to commit to immediately reviewing all cases of neurodivergent individuals, especially those facing imminent deportation.

His lawyers have voiced concern about the role of the joint enterprise law in the case.

A petition to oppose the deportation has so far attracted more than 126,000 signatures.

Brown has a range of difficulties. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 16 and has also been diagnosed with an underlying anxiety disorder, emotionally unstable personality disorder and PTSD.

He spent time in care from the age of 16 and was convicted of robbery, attempted robbery and perverting the course of justice in 2018, charges he has always insisted he is innocent of. He completed his prison sentence a few days ago.

He was due to be transferred to an immigration detention centre in preparation for deportation to Jamaica, but following intervention from his lawyers, has been allowed to return to his family in Dudley.

A new legal appeal is under way against his deportation and his lawyers are gathering fresh evidence in support of his case.

Clare Hayes and Sarah Ricca, of Deighton Pierce Glynn said: “It would seem from information received to date that the threat to deport Osime is the culmination of a long history of discriminatory treatment, which is all too familiar for children with autism, and for black children especially.

An early day motion, Justice for Osime Brown, has so far attracted signatures from 28 MPs. It calls for the plans to deport Brown to Jamaica to be halted and instead for him to receive the support he needs for his disabilities.

What is the joint enterprise law?
Joint Enterprise is referred to as a doctrine or a principle that has evolved under common law rather than an actual statute where two or more people are convicted for participating in the same crime.

One example is where two or more people commit a criminal offence and during the course of this crime, one of the group goes on to commit a further crime. All those who took part in the first will also be liable for the second crime if they foresaw the possibility that that crime might occur.

This has been criticised as it allows people to be convicted of very serious crimes on the basis of what they foresaw and not what they intended.

Well that seems a little harsh.